The Internet is a global network that is formed for computers, so called client computers and server computers (“a client” and “a server”). In order to browse data in the internet, the client makes a contact to the server which stores the data being presented in the internet. The client asks data from the server by means of a web browser (“browser”), which is a software program intended for browsing.
The request for the data is done by a user desiring to go on a certain web page. The user opens the browser, of which address field the user either types an address (e.g. URL, Uniform Resource Locator) or selects a link directing to the desired web page. The request including the desired address is sent to a server, which searches the requested web page and returns it to the client, if the web page is stored in said server. However, there are times, when a web page is not found from the server, whereby the response to the client comprises information that the desired address does not refer to any existing document. This might have been a result of a mistyped address or a misrepresented link or if the document is removed or saved to some other location. In any case, the user does not know what went wrong.
Relating to this problem, a publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,324 has presented a solution for determining a valid path for a web page address. In said solution an address path for the web page is transmitted to a server, which server returns an indication of a not found page, if the address does not refer to any existing document. As a result of this, the address is truncated by the most specific portion from the end of the address path, which truncated address is again transmitted to the server in order to have a corresponding web page. This operation is iterated between the client and the server until the address has been truncated to such a form, which is valid and by means of which a web page is found. When a valid path for the address is found the user can be given an option to ask completion portions to the path, i.e. subpages. If the completion portions are asked and if there exists any, they are displayed to the user, which can select one for to be added to the address path.
It can be realised that the solution presented in publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,324, suits well to a situation, where the user has e.g. mistyped a portion of the address, but where at least another portion of the address still refers to an existing web page. However, the searching process is slow because of the iteration process carried out in the publication.
Therefore a solution for further improving the user experience with browsing is needed, and the current invention is targeted to such a need.